In Box Review of Nichimo 1/48th Scale
Japanese Nakajima Ki-43-1 "Oscar" Fighter
Kit no. S-4820
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF BUSINESS
Copyright 1977
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF BUSINESS
Copyright 1977
HISTORY:
The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ( "Peregrine Falcon", "Army Type 1 Fighter") was a single-engine land-based tactical fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II.
The Allied reporting name was "Oscar", but it was often called the "Army Zero" by American pilots because it bore a certain resemblance to the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the Imperial Japanese Navy's counterpart to the Ki-43.
Both aircraft had generally similar layout and lines, and also used essentially the same Nakajima Sakae radial engine, with similar round cowlings and bubble-type canopies (the Oscars' being distinctly smaller and having much less framing than the A6M).
While relatively easy for a trained eye to tell apart with the "finer" lines of the Ki-43's fuselage — especially towards the tail — and more tapered wing planform; in the heat of battle, given the brief glimpses and distraction of combat, Allied aviators frequently made mistakes in enemy aircraft identification in the heat of a dogfight, reportedly having fought "Zeros" in areas where there were no Navy fighters.
Like the Mitsubishi-produced A6M Zero, the radial-engined Ki-43 was light and easy to fly and became legendary for its combat performance in East Asia in the early years of the war.
It could outmaneuver any opponent, but did not have armor or self-sealing tanks, and its armament was poor until its final version, which was produced as late as 1945.
Allied pilots often reported that the nimble Ki-43s were difficult targets but burned easily or broke apart with few hits.
In spite of its drawbacks, the Ki-43 shot down more Allied aircraft than any other Japanese fighter and almost all the JAAF's aces achieved most of their kills in it.
Total production amounted to 5,919 aircraft. Many of these were used during the last months of the war for kamikaze missions against the American fleet.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: One
Length: 8.92 m (29 ft 3⅜ in)
Wingspan: 10.84 m (35 ft 6¾ in)
Height: 3.27 m (10 ft 8¾in)
Wing area: 21.4 m2 (230.4 ft2)
Empty weight: 1,910 kg (4,211 lb)
Loaded weight: 2,590 kg (5,710 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 2,925 kg (6,450 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Nakajima Ha-115 fourteen cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 858 kW (1,150 hp
Maximum speed: 536 kilometres per hour (333 mph) at 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) (286 knots (530 km/h) at 4,000 metres (13,000 ft))
Cruise speed: 355 kilometres per hour (221 mph; 192 kn) at 4,000 metres (13,000 ft)
Range: 1,760 km (952 nmi, 1095 mi)
Ferry range: 3,200 km (1,730 nmi, 1,990 mi)
Service ceiling: 11,200 m (36,750 ft)
Rate of climb: 3,900 feet per minute (20 m/s) ()
Wing loading: 121 kg/m2 (24.8 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 331 W/kg (0.20 hp/lb)
Armament: 2× fixed, forward-firing 12.7 mm (.50 in) Ho-103 machine guns in the cowl with 270 rpg
Bombs: 2× 250 kg (551 lb) bombs
The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ( "Peregrine Falcon", "Army Type 1 Fighter") was a single-engine land-based tactical fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II.
The Allied reporting name was "Oscar", but it was often called the "Army Zero" by American pilots because it bore a certain resemblance to the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the Imperial Japanese Navy's counterpart to the Ki-43.
Both aircraft had generally similar layout and lines, and also used essentially the same Nakajima Sakae radial engine, with similar round cowlings and bubble-type canopies (the Oscars' being distinctly smaller and having much less framing than the A6M).
While relatively easy for a trained eye to tell apart with the "finer" lines of the Ki-43's fuselage — especially towards the tail — and more tapered wing planform; in the heat of battle, given the brief glimpses and distraction of combat, Allied aviators frequently made mistakes in enemy aircraft identification in the heat of a dogfight, reportedly having fought "Zeros" in areas where there were no Navy fighters.
Like the Mitsubishi-produced A6M Zero, the radial-engined Ki-43 was light and easy to fly and became legendary for its combat performance in East Asia in the early years of the war.
It could outmaneuver any opponent, but did not have armor or self-sealing tanks, and its armament was poor until its final version, which was produced as late as 1945.
Allied pilots often reported that the nimble Ki-43s were difficult targets but burned easily or broke apart with few hits.
In spite of its drawbacks, the Ki-43 shot down more Allied aircraft than any other Japanese fighter and almost all the JAAF's aces achieved most of their kills in it.
Total production amounted to 5,919 aircraft. Many of these were used during the last months of the war for kamikaze missions against the American fleet.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: One
Length: 8.92 m (29 ft 3⅜ in)
Wingspan: 10.84 m (35 ft 6¾ in)
Height: 3.27 m (10 ft 8¾in)
Wing area: 21.4 m2 (230.4 ft2)
Empty weight: 1,910 kg (4,211 lb)
Loaded weight: 2,590 kg (5,710 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 2,925 kg (6,450 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Nakajima Ha-115 fourteen cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 858 kW (1,150 hp
Maximum speed: 536 kilometres per hour (333 mph) at 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) (286 knots (530 km/h) at 4,000 metres (13,000 ft))
Cruise speed: 355 kilometres per hour (221 mph; 192 kn) at 4,000 metres (13,000 ft)
Range: 1,760 km (952 nmi, 1095 mi)
Ferry range: 3,200 km (1,730 nmi, 1,990 mi)
Service ceiling: 11,200 m (36,750 ft)
Rate of climb: 3,900 feet per minute (20 m/s) ()
Wing loading: 121 kg/m2 (24.8 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 331 W/kg (0.20 hp/lb)
Armament: 2× fixed, forward-firing 12.7 mm (.50 in) Ho-103 machine guns in the cowl with 270 rpg
Bombs: 2× 250 kg (551 lb) bombs
THE KIT:
Nichimo is a model company based in in Sano City, Japan. I believe that they went out of business.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Oscar flying top cover over 2 Japanese Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" bombers above the clouds. There is a black column of smoke rising from the ground.
The Oscar is dark green over a grey undercarriage. It has a yellow spinner, white fuselage band and a yellow arrow outlined in white on the rudder.
One side panel has 2 color box arts of the Oscar. Both are similar scenes, with the Oscar flying top cover for the Sally bombers. Except one shows two Oscars. The one in the foreground has a dark-green top only shown.
The Oscar behind it shows its grey bottom. In this scene they are covering 4 Sallys and there is a lot of flak.
The second box art is a repeat of the kits box art.
Between the two box arts is 2 paragraphs all in Japanese.
Nichimo is a model company based in in Sano City, Japan. I believe that they went out of business.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Oscar flying top cover over 2 Japanese Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" bombers above the clouds. There is a black column of smoke rising from the ground.
The Oscar is dark green over a grey undercarriage. It has a yellow spinner, white fuselage band and a yellow arrow outlined in white on the rudder.
One side panel has 2 color box arts of the Oscar. Both are similar scenes, with the Oscar flying top cover for the Sally bombers. Except one shows two Oscars. The one in the foreground has a dark-green top only shown.
The Oscar behind it shows its grey bottom. In this scene they are covering 4 Sallys and there is a lot of flak.
The second box art is a repeat of the kits box art.
Between the two box arts is 2 paragraphs all in Japanese.
The other side panel has color box arts of 4 other aircraft kits that Nichimo manufactures: Kit no. 13, a Japanese Navy Type 97 Attack Bomber, Kit no. 14, a Japanese Army Type 95-1 Otsu Biplane Trainer, Kit no. 15, a Japanese Light Plane Fuji FA 200 Aero Subaru and Kit no. 17, a Cessna Skyhawk Seaplane.
I assume these are all to 1/48th scale.
I assume these are all to 1/48th scale.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 3 light-grey trees and the light-grey fuselage halves and clear tree in 3 stapled shut cello bags.
The decal sheet is in another stapled shut clear cello bag and the instructions.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that is 22"x 8" format, printed on both sides all in Japanese and folded 3 times to fit the box.
The face side of the instructions begins with two 2-views and 4 side views of Oscars.
The first 2-view shows an Oscar that is green over a grey under-carraige, with a white lightning flash on the rudder and a white fuselage band and diagonal white bands on top of the wings and elevators.
The second 2-view shows a Thai Air Force Oscar that is green with dark wave-pattern over a grey under-carraige. It has Thai insignia of a red rectangle with a white elephant on it on the wing top and bottom and the rudder sides.
The first side view shows an Oscar that is Green over grey with a long yellow lightning bolt down the side of the fuselage. It has a light cowling nose (I don't know what color as the caption is in Japanese).
The second side view shows an Oscar that also is green over grey with a red lightning flash on the rudder with a dark marking above and below it, which I cannot make out what those are.
The third side view also shows an Oscar that is green over grey, with a wide white fuselage band behind the cockpit, 2 white fuselage bands with a yellow horizontal band across them that has black Japanese lettering on it.
The rudder flap has 3 white horizontal bands across it with a white tip.
The fourth side view also shows an Oscar that is green over grey. with a white fuselage band outlined in blue and a red circle with 8 points on it and white lettering that is Japanese.
A listing of all the part names is shown, all in Japanese.
Bottom of the page has 11 assembly steps that I counted, that are only numbered 1 to 4.
Reverse side of the sheet has 8 more assembly steps numbered as steps 1 & 2, and a 2 view of an Oscar with a white fuselage band outlined in blue behind the cockpit and a narrow white fuselage band before the rudder and a white arrow outlined in blue on the rudder.
Tail illustrations of 3 Oscars that have either a yellow, red or white arrow on their rudders and a side view of an Oscar that has a diagonal white fuselage band outlined in blue, followed by a narrow white fuselage band and a white arrow outlined in blue on the rudder.
Trees are alphabetized, but not illustrated in the instructions.
They do have part numbers next to the parts on the trees.
However, tree letter C is labeled as letter O wrongly in the instructions.
The kit holds 3 light-grey trees and the light-grey fuselage halves and clear tree in 3 stapled shut cello bags.
The decal sheet is in another stapled shut clear cello bag and the instructions.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that is 22"x 8" format, printed on both sides all in Japanese and folded 3 times to fit the box.
The face side of the instructions begins with two 2-views and 4 side views of Oscars.
The first 2-view shows an Oscar that is green over a grey under-carraige, with a white lightning flash on the rudder and a white fuselage band and diagonal white bands on top of the wings and elevators.
The second 2-view shows a Thai Air Force Oscar that is green with dark wave-pattern over a grey under-carraige. It has Thai insignia of a red rectangle with a white elephant on it on the wing top and bottom and the rudder sides.
The first side view shows an Oscar that is Green over grey with a long yellow lightning bolt down the side of the fuselage. It has a light cowling nose (I don't know what color as the caption is in Japanese).
The second side view shows an Oscar that also is green over grey with a red lightning flash on the rudder with a dark marking above and below it, which I cannot make out what those are.
The third side view also shows an Oscar that is green over grey, with a wide white fuselage band behind the cockpit, 2 white fuselage bands with a yellow horizontal band across them that has black Japanese lettering on it.
The rudder flap has 3 white horizontal bands across it with a white tip.
The fourth side view also shows an Oscar that is green over grey. with a white fuselage band outlined in blue and a red circle with 8 points on it and white lettering that is Japanese.
A listing of all the part names is shown, all in Japanese.
Bottom of the page has 11 assembly steps that I counted, that are only numbered 1 to 4.
Reverse side of the sheet has 8 more assembly steps numbered as steps 1 & 2, and a 2 view of an Oscar with a white fuselage band outlined in blue behind the cockpit and a narrow white fuselage band before the rudder and a white arrow outlined in blue on the rudder.
Tail illustrations of 3 Oscars that have either a yellow, red or white arrow on their rudders and a side view of an Oscar that has a diagonal white fuselage band outlined in blue, followed by a narrow white fuselage band and a white arrow outlined in blue on the rudder.
Trees are alphabetized, but not illustrated in the instructions.
They do have part numbers next to the parts on the trees.
However, tree letter C is labeled as letter O wrongly in the instructions.
Light-grey letter A tree holds the wings (3 parts) and fuselage parts (2 parts).
Light-grey letter B tree holds: wheels, cowling, elevators, standing and seated pilot figures, propeller, landing-gear legs, cockpit floor and backrest, tail wheel, air intake, spinner etc. (27 parts)
Light-grey letter C tree holds: drop tanks, engine bulkhead, foot pedals, oxygen bottles, dashboard, engine, seat etc. (51 parts)
The Clear letter D tree holds the cockpit canopy and the wing light lens (3 parts).
The decal sheet and a tube of glue complete the kit contents.
The kit has very well done engraved detail. Flaps are all molded solid.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.